Five tips to help you prepare for your ITT interview

So, you’re thinking about training to teach. You’ve submitted your application. Now it’s time for your interview. You might be feeling excited, nervous, or perhaps a bit of both. Either way, you’ve got this. Here to offer her advice is our very own Olivia Bennett, Head of Partnerships and Recruitment (North and East).

Tip 1: An interview is a two-way process

We know that choosing where to complete your Initial Teacher Training is a big decision. It matters to us that you’re in the right place for you, and we want that right place to be with us. So, my first tip is to think of your interview as a two-way process. When you’re preparing for your interview, think about what you want to know about us, as well as what you’ll want us to know about you. We’re proud to offer such a supportive, rigorous training programme, and we’re delighted when candidates arrive at their interviews armed with thoughtful questions of their own.

Tip 2: Prepare then relax

If you’re having an interview with us, either online or face-to-face, then you’ll receive an invitation with dates, timings, and an outline of what to expect on the day. We’ll also give you a sheet that tells you how to prepare, and what to read and think about. If you make sure you’re on top of this beforehand, then the day itself will be far more relaxing. You'll get a warm welcome whether you come to one of our campuses or we meet you virtually. If your interview is in-person, then you can grab a drink and settle in, at which point we’ll come and introduce ourselves. Getting to meet our candidates is one of my favourite parts of interview day, and I’m always so proud to welcome potential trainees into our community.

Tip 3: Think about the difference you want to make

The interview starts with some formal questions, where we’ll want to know about your passion and rationale for teaching. My advice for answering these questions is to think about the impact you want to have on the lives of your future students, and what it means to you to be at the front of the classroom. It might help to think about your own experience when you were at school. Was there a teacher whom you found particularly inspirational, and if so, why? We’ll also want to know about the love and knowledge you have for your

chosen subject or age group, so think about what strengths you can bring to a teaching environment.

Tip 4: We’re not expecting the finished product

We’ll have asked you to prepare a short teaching episode in advance of your interview. This is an enjoyable part of the day for everyone: you’ll get to practice delivering a lesson, and the assessors take the role of your pupils. My top tip here is to be creative, interactive and have fun with it. After all, we’re not expecting the finished product! There’s no national requirement to have any teaching experience before you apply for ITT, and we know that you’re coming to learn how to teach. We’re more interested in how you prepare, how you present yourself, and how you reflect on what you’ve done. In many ways, the discussion that takes place after the teaching episode is the most important part of this exercise. So, think about any similar conversations or assignments you might have had before at school, university, or in a previous job. There’s a good chance that this part of the interview will feel more familiar than you think.

Tip 5: Don’t overthink things

Your interview will also include some written tasks, where we’ll want to find out more about your professionalism and subject knowledge. In terms of professionalism, my tip is to think about the stand-out teachers in your life: what qualities do they have that make them strong role models for their students? In terms of subject knowledge, my tip is not to think too hard about it. You’re revisiting material that you already know very well. In fact, there’s a good chance that you know it to such a high level that the challenge will be simplifying it back down.

Bonus tip: Remember your strengths

Just remember that we’re not trying to catch you out. We’re here to find out what you’re already good at, celebrate your existing strengths, and identify where we can provide development and support. We know that you know your stuff. We’re here to show you how to pass it on to the next generation.